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| Campsite Khaolaem National Park |
Our four months here in Thailand are just about to end and it’s probably a good time to inform you, our prayer partners, of what has been going on since our first update sent out at the beginning of January.
Our teaching sessions at Santisuk English School are now completed where we were able to share the good news of Jesus with our four individual classes of a total of 24 students. We had opportunities also to interact with some of the students after class time during late evening dinners and during three weekend activities outside of Bangkok.
Gary was given the charge to preach twice a month at the school’s church, Peace of Silom. These church services are held on Friday evenings, which has enabled us to continue our involvement with Calvary Baptist International Church for worship and adult Bible study on Sunday mornings along with their refugee/asylum seeker ministry twice a month on Sunday afternoons. We have been blessed to enjoy encouraging times of fellowship with these dear people at Calvary. We feel like it’s become our home away from home as they have engrafted us in to their ministry and fellowship with Christ’s love.
Lyndell has been able to keep up her Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) Asian group online every week and has even met a couple times in person that facilitated the chance to get to know one another a little better. Oh yeah, they did enjoy some good food at those gatherings also.
Much of our time is often spent meeting with people we’ve come to know over the years or new people just traveling through the area or attending conferences. Those times are usually spent enjoying a meal together because the food is so inexpensive here compared with what we experience back home. Needless to say, we have not been losing any weight during our time here in Thailand. The food is so delicious.
We made a 5-day trip to Penang, Malaysia at the beginning of this month to renew our visa and had the great joy of meeting with a long-term missionary family from our home church and spent some time with a young woman from the Philippines who we had previously worked with for a couple years at Santisuk. She has since married a Malaysian seminary student who seeks to become a pastor among those who are Chinese speaking. They also have a darling little baby girl named Ember because she was born in September.
Just before we fly back home, we have been invited to take an all-expense paid trip for one week to Japan with a sweet couple from our church that we met last year. What an unexpected and deeply appreciated blessing. It appears that we will arrive in Tokyo right at the peak of the cherry blossom season that everyone says is so beautiful.
We want to thank everyone who has remembered us in prayer during our time here and we hope we can share more with you after we return home on April 4. More seeds of the good news of Jesus were sown and other seeds from the past were watered by His grace. Now we pray and wait upon the Lord to bring about a harvest of souls into His eternal kingdom.
"Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13 ESV)
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| Year of the Dragon according to Chinese calendar |
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| Exhibit at the Icon Siam mall |
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| Popular modern tourist attraction is Icon Siam |
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| Those aren't bugs on the wall of Icon Siam |
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| Main reason we take the BTS sky train |
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| Air Quality has often been poorer than normal |
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| Poor Air Quality makes interesting sunrises |
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| Yes, it's always hot in Bangkok |
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| Lyndell's Level 1 Class at Santisuk English School |
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| Gary's Level 1 Class |
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| Peace of Silom Church |
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| Santisuk staff and student weekend outing |
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Baptism during out weekend retreat
"I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10 |
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Witnesses of the baptism
"The Lord... is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish,
but that all should reach repentance." II Peter 3:9 |
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Valentine's Day party
(Gary gave message on God's Love) |
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| Dinner before worship service Peace Silom Church |
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| After class meal with some students |
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| Lots of food on a stick ready to grill for after class meal |
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| Lyndell seems to like chicken feet soup |
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| Crocodile is something we take a pass on |
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| Duck bills, one more item on the "No thank you" list |
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| This sauce just didn't look like we could handle it |
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| Often meals would be on the sidewalk near passing cars |
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| Vendor cooking pork for our after class meal |
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| Voila, stewed port on rice |
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| Student outing at Ancient City replica south of Bangkok |
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| Beautiful grounds in Ancient City replica (Mueang Boran) |
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| Van ride to weekend outing near the beach |
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| Roadside diner along the way |
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| Yeah, we made it to the beach |
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| Kite festival on the beach |
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Glory of God displayed in the sunset over Gulf of Thailand
"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea." Hab. 2:14 |
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Call to worship at Calvary Baptist International Church
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! " Ps. 100:4 |
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| Pastor Chappell (on left) and some members after worship service |
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| Chinese friend's marriage to Finnish man |
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Reading scripture at wedding
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." I John 4:10 |
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Asian Baptist Network convention at Calvary
(where's Waldo of Gary?) |
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Refugee/Asylum seeker relief ministry team
"Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord," Prov. 19:17 |
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| Pakistani family waiting 10 years to be resettled in another land |
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Another family waiting along with many others
"But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint." Isa. 40:31 |
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Treated to lunch at a neighborhood Isaan outdoor restaurant
"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them." Heb. 6:10
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One of Gary's favorite special meals
(A bit pricey at $8.00, but feeds two) |
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New dessert looks a bit unusual but is pretty good
(no those are not fish or frog eggs) |
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| Meeting friends who work for the King of kings |
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| Gary has found a quiet place for study |
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| Our comfortable and quiet 650 sq. ft. apartment |
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| So easy to keep clean |
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| Visa run to Muslim Malaysia with sign that says it all |
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Island of Penang has much beauty
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Famous Kek Los Si Temple
(tough walking up all the steps on a hot day) |
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| Global partners from church back in Minneapolis |
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| Former fellow worker at Santisuk now in Malaysia |
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| Several photos of popular Georgetown Street Art |
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| Our jovial Trishaw driver |
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| Best way to travel to the art exhibits on a steamy hot day |
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| Had to try the famous Char Kay Teow |
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Here it is. Much like Pad Thai.
(the Coke for digestive help)
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| Bangkok's Chao Phraya River |
As we prepare to leave Bangkok we cling to the promise of God's Word from Isaiah 55:10-11. "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."
